‘I can’t. I have Yearbook.’

Oh, those infamous words staffers throw out when another obligation comes up and they’re in the midst of deadline. “I can’t. I have Yearbook.” What might be an excuse to teachers and friends is a way of life for the dedicated souls who trek to the yearbook room after the final bell. But seasoned staffers know worknights are a rite of passage in the yearbook world.

They give staffers a chance to bond. There’s a sense of camaraderie when everyone piles into the yearbook room to knock out pages, stories and photos. We’re in this together. Plus, worknights tend to be a little more laidback than class time. Staffers snack, play music and goof around in between writing captions and placing photos. 

Procrastination meets its match. Whatever you put off, it’s no match for a yearbook late night. Usually scheduled right before deadline, a worknight forces procrastinators to finally face up to their unfinished work. A few hours dedicated to yearbook can work wonders for a blank spread.

Balancing work and play, the Minnetonka High School yearbook staff mixes a little fun with their afterschool late nights. Photos by Tessa Ikola

Worknights and pizza go together like peanut butter and jelly. We highly recommend taking a break for dinner that’s reminiscent of family dinners. Have everyone sit around a table and eat together, sharing the highs and lows of their week. This is a chance to move past the yearbook world and really get to know each other. For some students, yearbook might be their only family or place they feel at home. If you’re really organized, ask parents at open house or through a Google form to provide dinner for one worknight a year. This saves the yearbook budget and students look forward to a home-cooked meal. Or more pizza. Worknights and pizza is the yearbook version of peanut butter and jelly.

They emphasize the value of the yearbook. Staffers know their friends have gone home, yet this small group of people has stayed behind. Long after the final bell, staffers put in extra time and effort to make sure the story of the year is remembered. Spending personal time to choose photos, write captions and design pages emphasizes the importance of the yearbook. Staying after with like-minded people reminds everyone on staff about the magnitude of the moment—history is being organized, collected and shared in the only permanent record of the year.